GMTV answers new claims over 'fixed' phone-in contest

An investigation into GMTV's phone competitions is to be widened after a freelance producer came forward with fresh accusations that viewers are being duped.

Steve Benham claims potential winners of the show's Doorstep Challenge are excluded if a TV crew cannot easily get to their home.

The premium phoneline regulator Icstis yesterday confirmed it is looking into the claims, which come days after allegations £40 million over four years in another competition scam.

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A freelance producer claims potential winners of the GMTV's Doorstep Challenge are excluded if a TV crew cannot easily get to their home. Above TV presenter Keith Chegwin with a viewer

Opera Interactive Technology, the company blamed for the previous scandal, is also involved in this new complaint.

The Doorstep Challenge runs daily for a week at a time. Viewers pay up to £1.80 to answer multiple choice questions, in the hope of winning £20,000.

Later that day, phone operator Opera sends a shortlist of finalists to GMTV, which then picks a winner out of a hat.

The following morning Keith Chegwin and a camera crew turn up unannounced at a viewer's home live on the show to tell them they have won.

But Mr Benham claims some viewers are being excluded simply because of where they live. He said: "The fact is that there are thousands of people living in high-rise blocks or hard-to-reach areas who are phoning in every week that will never stand a chance of winning."

But GMTV denied the accusation and said Mr Benham had never worked on the show.

A spokeswoman said: "We have no evidence that the winners have been selected on the basis of where they live.

"The winner is selected randomly, by GMTV, and we have always been able to get to the winning location.

"Winners have lived in difficult locations but that's all part of the challenge."

Previous winners have lived in blocks of flats and in remote areas, she added.

Icstis has asked the producer to provide additional evidence to back up his claims.

However, it admitted it was taking the accusations seriously and would be "tagging" this complaint on to its existing investigation.

A spokesman said: "We will be asking both GMTV and Opera to respond to this claim as part of our overall investigation."

The regulator has also passed the complaint to media watchdog Ofcom.

Earlier this week, GMTV terminated its contract with Opera after questions were raised about its competitions. The broadcaster has admitted "irregularities" in the system and suspended its competitions while it investigates further.

Millions have been paying around £1.80 each to enter a weekday multiple choice quiz with prizes of up to £20,000.

The broadcaster has been soliciting for calls soon after the beginning of the programme at 6am, but it is claimed it was picking its shortlist up to 45 minutes before the supposed 9am deadline, meaningentrants were wasting their time and money.

Viewers are said to have been swindled out of up to £45,000 a day.

Bosses at Opera, which has been running GMTV phone-in quizzes since 2003, suspended staff involved in the scam and is investigating the case itself.

GMTV emphatically denied Mr Benham's claim.

A spokesman said: "We have no evidence that the winners have been selected on the basis of where they live.

"The winner is selected randomly, by GMTV, and we have always been able to get to the winning location.

"Winners have lived in difficult locations but that's all part of the challenge. This is not true."